While bells ring out across Switzerland at 2pm sharp for the 40 people who died (six of them Italians) in the Crans-Montana tragedy on New Year's Eve , Sion prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud has ordered a restrictive precautionary measure against Jacques Moretti , the owner of the Constellation.
At the end of today's six-and-a-half-hour interrogation, the man left the courthouse in a cantonal police cruiser . He is currently in custody.
After a lengthy "hearing," as Swiss prosecutors call it, the head of the investigation is now convinced: "Given his statements, his life history, and his situation in Switzerland and abroad, there is a real risk of him fleeing," she explained this evening.
Meanwhile, his wife, Jessica, leaves the main door of the austere courthouse in tears, escorted by police officers and her defense team , including prestigious Geneva lawyers Yael Hayat, Nicola Meier, and Patrick Michod. The prosecutor's office has requested house arrest and an electronic tag for her, to "limit the risk of her absconding." However, these alternative measures, to be enforceable, must be confirmed by the court within 48 hours.
As she trudges away from the courthouse, Jessica whispers tearfully to the crowd of reporters: “ My thoughts are constantly with the victims and the people who are fighting for their lives today. This is an unimaginable tragedy, and I never could have imagined this happening in one of our establishments, and I want to apologize.”
Meanwhile, a commemoration ceremony was held in Martigny, attended by numerous international figures, including President Sergio Mattarella and French President Emmanuel Macron. White roses were placed in the hall to remember the victims, and a minute of silence was observed.
The Rome prosecutor's office has also opened an investigation into the fire: the charges include manslaughter, serious injury, and arson. This move by the Roman magistrates gives the judicial proceedings surrounding the New Year's Eve massacre an international dimension, following similar legal initiatives in France and, yesterday, Belgium. The Belgian prosecutor's office has made itself available to Swiss judicial and police authorities for any investigative measures in Belgium, including—if necessary—the interviewing of witnesses.
An autopsy has been ordered for the Italian victims, for which the prosecutors of Milan, Bologna, and Genoa have been delegated. The Italian investigation was initiated by the Rome prosecutors, who normally have jurisdiction over incidents involving Italian citizens abroad, also based on a communication sent by the Foreign Ministry. The communication contains the list of victims and injured in the New Year's Eve massacre who were from Italy, as verified by the consular authorities who carried out the identifications. And next Monday, the Italian Ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, will meet with the Attorney General of the Canton of Valais, Beatrice Pilloud, to update on the investigation.
(Unioneonline/D)